Covenant II unofficially began at Red Gate this year with a pre-festival show spearheaded by the hooded members of Zoloa (of whose closing set we only caught the first few minutes, due to transit logistics.) Any show with Ahna or Radioactive Vomit on the lineup is always worth checking out but to witness intense sets from both acts one after the other was this reviewer’s highlight of the evening. Openers Oaf delivered a performance full of chaotic energy which belied the event’s remarkable organization (each and every band was ready to play on-time and according to schedule). One of the best Red Gate shows witnessed to date and a great pre-start to Covenant Festival.

[Update: Evidently Ahna, currently on their European tour, had their passports stolen last night during a show. You can visit their Bandcamp page to show your support here.)